Apparatus for resoling rubber boots and the like



1 J. w. LA FOLLETTE 2,4 32

APPARATUS FOR RESOLING RUBBER BOOTS AND THE LIKE Filed April 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'ill I. 23--- I 25 23 2 24 I l 24 5 O' 0 25 22 H Y 5 l6 I I6 20 I7 22 I I l7 l9- I O 2 2 I x 20 l II'-, II

John ,W. Lu FoHerTe INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

1949- J. w. LA FOLLETTE 2,460,832

APPARATUS FOR RESQLING RUBBER BOOTS AND THE LIKE Fned'A m 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III FIG. 3'

FIG.4

John W. LuFoHeHe INVENTOR.

FIG.6

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 v UNITED semie e nnsonmemunnnn LBQGI'ES @AND THE LIKE This invention 'TEIEUGSitO the @art of resolin rubber :boots and the ilike, and more particularly relates te :a novel z-apparatus for :shaping t'h'e tread surfacesmflboots in a resolmg-auperdtion.

In the past, rubber boots, ipa'rti'cularly #tlmse worn by miners and star anther :indu'strlal spun poses, have been discarded :to a large extent :as soon as :the tread surfaces Emwe worn athin tor have hegun sto leak. fiatelymmderithe'war emen gency icon'ditio'ns, a2. necessity ifor iconservatlon aof rubber :s'tocks has irequire'd that such lboots Abe keptiin service by .re'sollng .zior as A long aiperiod as possible.

This has required ithat aretreading :operations be performed "nomp'areible :t'o ith'ose employed =in recapping'ior rtreadtng automobile tires, which include :as :9. part iof Ithe operatien ia 'viilca'nizlng action. I V

Various devices have been developed for use in performing :such eparations. Meet :of these have been :subject :to the disadvantage that they require :a, :seperate mold ifor :eaeh size' df rbeot on which a new itrea'd iis to be xepplie'd. Gtliers, While :secommorbiting a, wfiety :of sizes :in e

single mold, rhave requir'ed 1a itWO :or thre'e stage vulcanlzin'g :op'era'tinn to sittdin lth'e deslred =cure ofthe treadisurfac'e.

:It ls an :object ot the eprje'sent invention 'to provide re. simple, ieflicient end lec'onemieail apperatus for retreading :rubber boots "and ithe'ilike.

Another object or the iimention is ito provide a. simple, durable :and efiie'ient device Flier .ing =the vtread surface for mibber boots in "d esellug operations.

A further *object :of the invention :is to .provide a tread-forming mold that man aecommedate is wideav arietytof bootrsizes.

:Other objects reside sin movel details rdfreonstruction and nOVl *combinations and magements of parts, all of which will be describediin the courseaof the fellowin'gdescription.

To lafford1a betterun-derstanding 11f the iinve'ntion, reference will ib :made :to .the accompanying drawings, illustrating typical embodiments of the invention. In the drewings tin =the severe}! views of which like parts have beendesignated similarly, 7

.Fig. 1 .is -a, topplan of .9, unoldimemberiembadying features-of thepresentdnvention; r

Fig. 2 is :a. section ttaken along the dine 32-42,

Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the mold member illustrated in 1 and drawn to s deduced scale; i

Fi "4 an enlarged, :fragmentery ssid'e elevee tien of the learn assembly illustrated sill-Fig 8; I Fig.- *5 is resection taken along "e dine =5--5. -Fi.g.-l.;%end v r I Fig. 6 isa section taikenislfiflg l llne i-r i;

: 5 "Claims. (ems-:31)

2 dks clearly shown in .Fig. 1, the mold :member comprises :a heat-conductive ;plate 1 having a. heeleforming :suiiface '8, an instep-forming :porti'on flpnnd 8..501Bf01111i1l2'1'8111f306 H1, The heelforming :surface is enclosed by a shoulder or trim 152 and 2a plur ality :of ribs 43 leiitend (across the enclosure f-to divide it into a, iseries f irecesses which define ithelp'dttern (if the heel of 'abnot treatedinitheren'closur.

The shoulder l2 extends into two iupstanding rims liliet-seacnrsidedf theiinstep portion o'fiplate l and the ends -='o'f 'saiic'i lims neeLre's't the-selefcrmingrsu'rface provide abutments against-which the ends 0f a flexible sdle -en'closing "member lli lbear. fl 'his meniber -preferably =is formed *frem azstripiof resllient meteil,"suehiassheet'steel, and

itsends stifferieil by"serraltedstiipsI mpair ef retary cams l 1 are meunted *en plate 1 with their peripheries in spaced -proximit'y 'to the endso'f rim; M. Ih'e'bams I?! "aremdunted 0n pivot pins *in dfi-cen'ter rela'fidnship elnd thereby' hiive eccentricrelationshipto the 's'err'aite'd strips *fli iinounted on member I 5, imparting leftelfa'il thrust to hfild the flexible ban-a "I15 'ngiiinst the side of a bootfin the mold. Prefer 'dbly, the periphery "of each Cam is knurled to previde aifric'tion 'surfacefformoveble member is "througntontact withfthe serrated strip [6, suitebie *rmeans ffor manual aetuation 'o'f cams T1 "aregproiiided by side openings 19 or top openings 20. "the side openings I9 are utilized, a rod indicated by the dot and dashline repl es senteitien "21 is'inseftd in said opening and the e'amii's then'itui'nedlt'o draw the meniber [5 along the l 4, the sagniejltime the eccentric eetion exerts a l'alt'erdl-lorce fagainstthe' Zmember f 5 in addition'to thelengthw'ise pull. Y

"siniilefilly, *9 17061 having "two studs or .projecti'ons .ieitt'ehdin'gffrom Ia. fieit surface, register with the Tqpenings "i0, and .permit turning movement of c'ain's 317,, whichthereby function in the mem-v 'nerhereiribefor'eLtl'escribed. In order toprdv'ide .a, tread surface on the sole portion of about treated in the .mold, the surface 0 is recessed, asindicated at 22. Plate members 23 are fitted for sliding movement in recesses}; and may have upstanding ends or "fienges -23 which against the member .15. Plates :23

are .slrit'te'd 'as (indicated at 25 to receive wing Th iserrangement permits the plates 23. to be moved to selective. positions :in therecesses 22 and when properly located to be locked in such position. Thecumulative effect of --the several flanges 24 bearing against flexible n emb e1 l.5

the like. a mold element comprising a heat conductive plate having heel, instep and sole tread forming surfaces on which a boot rests; a tread outlining member on said plate, including a flexible strip loosely supported on said plate and disposed in sole embracing relation to the boot with the ends thereof extending rearwardly adjacent the instep position, and a stiffening member secured to each end of said strip; a shoulder on said plate providing heel and instep outlining portions and formed integrally with the plate; and means including cams rotatably mounted on said plate adjacent the ends of said strip and in operative engagement with said stiffening members, for simultaneously drawing said strip rearwardly and pushing the same laterally into alinement with said shoulder and into engagement with a boot tread.

4. In apparatus for resoling rubber boots, a mold element comprising a heat conductive plate having heel, instep and sole tread forming surfaces on which a boot rests, said tread forming surfaces including a plurality of channels extending inwardly toward the center of said plate; a flexible strip loosely mounted on said plate and disposed in sole embracing relation to the boot with the ends thereof extending rearwardly adjacent the instep position; means onsaid plate providing heel and instep Outlining portions; means engageable with the ends of said strip for drawing said strip rearwardly and simultaneously pushing the same laterally, said strip thereby being drawn into engagement with a boot tread and also into alinement with said heel and instep means; and plates adapted to fill said channels and adjustable independently of the adjustment of said strip, for closing said channels beneath said strip and preventing an outflow of rubber or the like therethrough.

5. In apparatus for resoling rubber boots and the like; a mold element comprising a heat conductive plate having heel, instep and sole tread forming surfaces upon which a boot rests; means on said plate providing heel and instep outlining portions; a tread outlining flexible strip loosely mounted on said plate and disposed in sole embracing relation to the boot with the ends thereof extending rearwardly at the instep position, stifiening members disposed alongside said strips adjacent the rear ends thereof, said members being provided with serrations on the sides thereof opposite said strip; and rotatable cams having interlocking serrations and disposed exteriorly of said members with the serrations of said cams engaging the serrations of said members, whereby rotation of said cams draws said members and said strip rearwardly to cause said strip to engage the sole of a boot and also moves said members and the end portions of said strip laterally inwardly toward the instep of said boot and into alinement with the instep portion of said heel and instep means.

, JOHN W. LA FOLLETTE.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nevills Oct. 5, 1943 Number 

